for us. >> and from all of us here, thanks for watching. we appreciate your time. se tonight on "world news," crisis in egypt. the turning tide, as protesters celebrate across cairo. the violent opposition seems to melt away. a sea of peaceful people sing, and our team is in the middle of it all. crashing ice. an avalanche of ice falls from the dome of the super bowl stadium as people run in shock. and, across the midwest, travel still in chaos. rocket man. congresswoman gabby giffords' husband, astronaut mark kelly, makes the decision to leave the hospital and head back to space. and, our "person of the week." all of us, together, trying to find a way to care for our aging parents with dignity and love.

good evening. what a difference tonight in the pressure-cooker of cairo, egypt. tension and violence gave way to celebration today. you'll remember yesterday, these were the scenes we were showing you of bloody clashes, anger and pain. but today, take a look. a sea of peaceful protesters confidently back in control of the square, chanting against president mubarak and wearing their bruises and bandages like badges of victory. so, where are the dangerous thugs from yesterday, and has the threat of chaos throughout the middle east diminished? christiane amanpour, who led the way with the exclusive interview with president mubarak last night, is still in cairo with our david muir. and christiane, tell us, first, how did the change on the streets happen? >> reporter: well, it seems that all that transpired over the last 48 hours really came to a

head and really, the army then decided to move the sides apart. it was called a day of departure today, they hoped, the protesters, that president mubarak would be forced to step down. he is still here, but then, again, so are they. tens of thousands of egyptians gathered again in liberation square this morning to pray. bowing their heads to the ground they have been fighting for. today, it's a completely different atmosphere. peaceful. because the army has taken a decision to expand the buffer zone between the people who are protesting against the government and any pro-mubarak supporters who may come here. the army stationed tanks at both ends of this bridge that had been the scene of violent clashes, as well as angry mobs who set upon journalists. and today, we walked freely, as did everyone here. and for the first time, a government official, the minister of defense, made an appearance at the square. people all over the square asked me about my meeting with

mubarak, and wanted to know when he was leaving. i spoke to him yesterday, i saw him at the palace and i said to him, there are people who tell me they don't trust you when you say you will step down. >> we don't trust him. >> reporter: we were in the crowd when a rumor raced through that mubarak had resigned. and they went wild at the thought of victory. but as of tonight, the president remains in office and there is new tension over who will replace him when he does go. >> the war on the ground, the struggle has been achieved. we still have not achieved the political battle. >> reporter: there's a lot of anxiety that the muslim brotherhood is taking over the protests. >> no, no, no. this is not true. all kinds of people are here, muslims, christians, all types. >> reporter: but some of the youth leaders here told us they felt the brotherhood was hijacking their movement. >> what they want to do. not what we want to do. they are talking for us when we

didn't ask them to stand for us. >> reporter: so, i asked a leader of the muslim brotherhood what they want. we spoke by phone, because it was too dangerous for him to meet us in public. >> the people of egypt are taking over the power, not the muslim brotherhood. >> reporter: he says the brotherhood will not even field a presidential candidate in the next election. what do you say to people who are afraid that the muslim brotherhood will take over and turn this into another iran? >> we want to send a message to egyptians and to the region and to the whole world that we are aiming and targeting to have a civil state, democratic state. >> reporter: and here, in what's become the people's square, the symbols are not religious nor political. they are all about egypt. >> well, this has been an extraordinary 24 hours, christiane. but tell me about the other countries in the region.

have the protests there subsided? what's been happening? >> reporter: well, they had called in some countries for protests after the midday friday prayers. in syria, we understand they did not materialize, because secret police and other security forces were deployed. in jordan, next door, some, hundreds did turn out, but again, they weren't as big and that, perhaps, could be attributed to some heavy rain, some downpours there. but really, we saw today in this square that there was no raining on this parade today. >> reporter: yeah, so many unexpected turns today. hard to believe this time last night, we were reporting for "world news" from inside the hotel room, they said it was too dangerous to be outside here. but given the fact that you're reporting the angry mobs are now gone, in that square today, we read victory on the faces of the young and the old. >> reporter: just beyond the tanks just inside tahrir square, this citizen army, volunteers. we passed through a half dozen checkpoints, making sure no weapons get in.

and then, an image that jumps out immediately. the wounds. so many bandages after two days of violence. >> this is the government's way. this is the government's way. just because we ask for freedom, you know what i mean? >> reporter: many of you back in the states have asked, what about food, water? bathrooms? an image of the only portable bathroom our team could find. boxes of water and bags of food have now been carried in by supporters. and we're sharing here. this woman is given a bottle of water. it's a mood that spans generations here. father and a son. the boy items me, their wish has been simple. you want freedom? >> yes, i want freedom for egypt. >> reporter: and he tells me why. the poverty he sees in the streets. >> when i see a man is bigger than me and he's not working and he's sitting in the streets. >> reporter: this woman clutches her egyptian flag. have the protesters won? "of course, she te" she tells u. "we've already won."

and then she says, they're one step away. one step away? you want mubarak gone -- >> now, now. >> reporter: and in the faces of these young girls, unwavering hope. what do you want to achieve. >> i want to be a doctor. >> reporter: you want to be a doctor? >> yes, i want to be a doctor. >> i want to be a scientist. >> reporter: a scientist? >> computer engineer. >> reporter: computer engineer. the three of you may save the world. >> yes. we want that. >> reporter: future engineers, future doctors, and the children believe that. and the thing is, christiane, so do their parents. because for so many people here, for the last 30 years, the only president they've known is president mubarak. and tyann, with so many questions about what could come next, the people in that square haven't gotten there yet. they are just savoring the victory that they feel they have witnessed here this week. >> great to see you both out there again today and so great to see the faces of those young girls. david, christiane, thank you. and amid so many acts of courage in cairo, we want to focus for a moment on one woman,

an egyptian journalist known by millions, once called the face of egypt abroad. and she has put her career and possibly her life in jeopardy, and lama hasan has her story. >> reporter: the demonstrations, the clashes, the huge numbers of anti-mubarak protesters spilling into the streets. it has been an explosion of images shown around the world. but not on egyptian state-run tv. take a look at this. on january 30th at 7:00 p.m., on the left of the screen, al jazeera showed the protesters in tahrir square. on the right, state tv. no protesters and no square. the pressures to not report what was happening, to not report on the anti-government uprising was so much for nile tv anchor shahira amin. she resigned. >> we were just covering the pro-mubarak rallies, which i thought was ridiculous and i don't want to be part of their propaganda machine. >> reporter: amin saw what was happening in her country. she just wasn't allowed to report on it.

>> i heard the chants of the protesters and decided to get off in tahrir square and join the protesters because i'm siding with the people, not the regime. >> reporter: earlier in the week, another reporter for the state-run tv resigned, too. she told us that during clashes between pro and anti-government forces, she was instructed to report that calm had been restored. two reporters, now risking so much to tell the truth about their country. lama hasan, abc news, cairo. and that square that they wouldn't show on egyptian tv, you know, for the past week, we've all been focused on that tahrir square in cairo. the stage for the revolution. but we thought we'd like you to see tahrir square as it once was. this is how it looked, that grassy oasis, before the word went out that thousands of people could gather there, protest and possibly change a whole nation. and as we've said, christiane amanpour has been

leading our coverage in cairo all week, and you can see more of her reporting from the ground in egypt on "this week" on sunday. and now, we turn back here at home to all the ice and cold in the south that turned the super bowl stadium in texas into a launch pad for giant sheets of ice crashing down. at least seven people were injured and ryan owens is just 48 hours away from the big game. ryan? >> reporter: good evening to you, diane. all of the injured are workers here at the stadium, and tonight, all of the entrances that they would use or so would fans, they have all been closed around the stadium. you know, the snow and ice caused so many problems here the past week, no one thought so would the thaw. all afternoon, huge slabs of ice fell from the top of cowboys stadium. firefighters say it was one of those sheets that plunged some 200 feet to injure those workers below. it is the latest setback for a super bowl some are beginning to

say is cursed. after all, dallas got five more inches of snow today, on top of the ice that encased the city after that massive storm early this week. hundreds of flights were canceled at dfw international and dallas's love field, home of southwest airlines, was shut down most of the morning. >> steeler nation, on vacation! >> reporter: which is how 550 steelers fans ended up stuck at the pittsburgh airport. >> we're ready to come to dallas and put a hurting on the packers. >> reporter: although it's mother nature putting a hurt on much of texas. houston woke up to a coating of ice and countless accidents. border towns saw snow this morning for only the second time in a century. still, tens of thousands of football fans are determined to make it to texas. >> 25 hours total. >> reporter: deb proctor drove

from pittsburgh during the height of the storm. >> it's like they rolled out the welcome mat from pittsburgh. we feel right at home. >> go pack go! >> reporter: so do these green bay fans who didn't bring coats. what do you think of dallas weather? >> loving it. this is like home. >> reporter: but tonight, it's that wintry weather in a part of the country that rarely sees it that is causing so many problems. the stadium behind me cost $1.3 billion. it is considered the jewel of the nfl and a big reason that dallas got the super bowl. so, it is hard to overstate how embarrassing this is. we should point out, diane, it is warming up here fast and all of that snow and ice is expected to be gone well before sunday's game. >> everybody getting out of the way. thank you, ryan owens. and still ahead on "world news," how is congresswoman gabrielle giffords doing and how did her husband decide to return to space? the unemployment number plunges. what did we really learn about jobs on the way? and why 20 million americans are our "persons of the week." and the next day i pay for it.

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announced today that he is going to leave the hospital to command the shuttle "endeavor's" final flight this spring. and bob woodruff was there. >> reporter: wearing a blue wristband with the inscription "peace, love, gabby," mark kelly made the announcement today he will return to space on april 19th and that he hopes his wife, congresswoman gabrielle giffords, will be there to send him off. >> i have every intention that she'll be there for the launch. >> reporter: do you think you got the okay from her to do this? >> i know her very well, and she would be very comfortable with the decision that i made. >> reporter: kelly refused to give any details on his wife's health. >> you know, i have intentionally, through this whole process, tried not to go down the path of what can she do today and what she can do tomorrow, because then i wind up in the situation where i feel like i continuously have to give updates that people will speculate on. >> reporter: he would only say that her, quote, lightning fast progress, made his plan possible.

>> where she is today is, you know, better than 99% of the other people that they see with this kind of injury. >> reporter: it has been a difficult decision. on one hand, commanding what could be the last shuttle mission, transporting an alpha magnetic spectrometer to the space station, which could unlock the mysteries of our universe. but he will be away from his wife, leaving her mother in charge of decisions regarding giffords' health. >> i feel very confident that i made the right decision. not only for me, but for my crew members, for my family and for my wife. >> reporter: he'll keep in touch through e-mail and the occasional phone call. will you be able to see her in the video conference, will she be able to see you? >> we typically do one family video teleconference on a shuttle flight, and it's normally towards the end of the mission and ours is during the end of the flight. >> reporter: today, his crew welcomed him back. >> the best thing, really, is to have the commander that you've trained with for 18 months.

>> reporter: this week, nasa actually consulted giffords' doctors just to make she her condition would not worsen the last thing they want is a commander being distracted while he is responsible for the lives of six astronauts 200 miles above the earth. diane? >> bob, good to have you reporting from houston tonight. and still ahead, the news about jobs in america. can turn romantic anytime.nt and when it does, men with erectile dysfunction can be more confident in their ability to be ready with cialis for daily use. ♪ cialis for daily use is a clinically proven low-dose tablet you take every day so you can be ready anytime the moment's right. ♪ tell your doctor about your medical condition and all medications, and ask if you're healthy enough for sexual activity. don't take cialis if you take nitrates for chest pain, as this may cause an unsafe drop in blood pressure. [ man ] do not drink alcohol in excess with cialis. side effects may include headache, upset stomach,

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it' ll be much better in time. well, not for me. if anything, it's -- it's gotten worse. >> reporter: worse? >> i miss him more. i'm remembering more little things that we did together. it's harder. >> a tribute to president reagan will be shown as a video at the super bowl. and still ahead, all the care givers trying to do the best for mom and dad. our "persons of the week." ♪ i was diagnosed with copd. i could not take a deep breath i noticed i was having trouble. climbing the stairs, working in the garden, painting. my doctor suggested spiriva right then.

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we want to thank you, because all this week, you've written such powerful e-mails about our series on caring for the aging parents we all love. russell from georgia wrote, the car, the house, the finances. there is no easy way to tell your parents that these cherished bits of independence are off limits. and carol from washington state said, people don't understand how hard this is on the care giver.

so, tonight, a special "person of the week." care givers, seeking to provide dignity and love. help, from cokie roberts. >> reporter: sue and skip hollcroft are just two of the more than 20 million people struggling to take care of their children and their aging parents. how hard is that balancing act? >> that is tough, because often you're running. from your job to try take care of dad to try to make it to a wrestling match. >> kids and their fancy cars. >> reporter: and last year, when sue's dad john wrecked his car, it got even more difficult. having your dad alone is terrifying, basically. >> it is. >> reporter: but her father obstinately refused to go anywhere. have they talked about moving you to -- >> yeah, one of them old folks homes? >> reporter: and why don't you like that? >> because they're all old people over there and i'm only 84. >> reporter: for months, su suffered sleepless nights, not knowing where to turn.

finally, they found a solution. hundreds of services are cropping up around the country like home instead, a senior care company that now sends someone to visit john for a few hours a day, who can help with chores and provide comfortable conversation, at a price. a little more than $20,000 a year, paid for with his savings. and it is considerably less than the average price of a nursing home, at more than $80,000 a year, or assisted living at almost $40,000. and for other people who want to stay at home but need help, there's another movement out there. it's called the village. neighbors get together and form a community clearinghouse of sorts. seniors can call a hotline and a volunteer comes to help with everything from rides to the grocery to fixing the faucets. >> i often think that what gets older people down about living in their own homes are the little things. like, who is going to shovel

your show? >> reporter: susan is a member of beacon hill village in boston. and as of tonight, there are 50 villages for seniors across the nation and more than 600 in development. not only is susan glad for the helping hands, so is her very relieved daughter. >> i certainly am grateful because i have a young child, that i'm not needing to take her grocery shopping all the time or i don't have to take her to the doctor appointment. >> reporter: so, even if one day your parents do end up in a nursing home, there can be great comfort in knowing that for as long as possible, they had time in the place they want to be -- home. >> it's kept him in his home and that's what he wants. >> reporter: he said he'll go out toes up? >> yes. feet first in a pine box, i believe is how he put it. >> and cokie is here now. how often that sentiment has probably been spoken in so many houses. but what have we learned about it? >> reporter: you know, the difference between our

generation and the generation before us is, there are experts out there that can help us. and calling on their expertise is really useful. we went to an elder care consultant and she found the perfect place for my mother-in-law. but you know, the other thing, diane, i think, as we talk about this process, the thing to never forget is the joy in it. the great joy that i have when i see my mother with my grandchildren is really special. >> it's a great thing. thank you, cokie. and this is a journey we're all taking together, families across america. and we thank all of you for joining us on this week of ws tonight oakland police chief's decision to stay on the job. signs of a still-frosty relationship with city hall. >> a new look tonight at bay area unemployment. you'll see why the jobless numbers just don't add up, here. >> a story only on 7 tonight.

a new look for chrysler. and new signs of optimism in the u.s. auto industry. >> a new attempt to catch up with driver who's don't pay bridge tolls ychl they're getting away with it. >> good evening, the city doesn't need a new police chief. >> he intends to stay, despite frustration. >> abc 7 is live tonight with the story. >> three weeks ago he was a finalist for the chief job in san jose. he said he's ready to quote roll up his sleeves and get back to work. presenting united front, mayor kwan and police chief met with residents after bass announced he'll stay on after all. >> bottom line is that reason i came to the